Venetian blind bracket



Aug. 29, 1950 H. B. CHATFIELD 2,520,593

VENETIAN BLIND `BRACKET Filed Sept. 22, 1948 INVEN TOR. HENRY 5.- C//A TF/ELD Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE Y VENETIAN BLIND BRACKETY Henry B. Chatield, Kinsman, Ohio Apparition september 22, 194s, seria1No.5o,56e

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a bracket formountingVenetian blinds and the like, particularly a one-piece bracket made from a metal stampmg.

In the past, Venetian blind brackets have usually been made of two or more major parts, one of them taking the form of a pivoted clip for holding in place the front fascia board. Where such a construction is employed, it is possible for the clip toy become unlatched, cref ating a hazard in that ,an outward pull on the cord may bring down the blind on Vthe head of the person attempting to operate it. The present invention has for one of its principal objects to preclude this possibility by providing a simple, inexpensive bracket incorporating means rigidly opposing outward movement of the fascia board and therefore of the headrail and other parts of the blind.

In its preferred form, the invention is i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 Vrepresents -a development or plan of the stamping from which the bracket is formed, the dotted lines indicating the lines'on lwhich the bracket is fixed in place.

As indicated in Figure 1, the stamping I may be regarded as consisting of an oblong portion 2 having attached thereto, on one side of the oblong, bottom tabs 3 carrying the bottom tab tips 4 and, on the opposite side of the oblong, an irregularly formed extension 5. The latter includes laterally extending spacer tabs 6a and 6b, the same being of equal length; fascia board positioning tabs 'la and 1b, which may be of equal length but oi which one is shown as being somewhat shorter Vthan the other, and a corner portion 8, which, in the completed bracket, becomes a top stop for a fascia, board. The lines along which bends are to be made are indicated by dotted lines, major bends being indicated by lines designated a', a", b, c, and d.

The stamping of Figure 1 may be formed lfrom coil steel on a conventional punch press, the width'ofA the stock used for theY purpose fiew termining the lengths of oblong portion 2 and fascia -board positioning tabs 'la and 1b.

In forming the completed bracket from the 2 stamping, it is possible to vary the order in which the parts are struck up from the stamping; consequently, it is possible to do little more than indicate in a general way what is regarded as a preferred method of procedure. cedureinvolves iirst striking up bottom tabs 3, this step being followed by a similar step involving bending bottom tab tips 4 at right angies to bottom tabs 3. This having been done,

bends may be made on lines a and a" of ob-y long portion 2, thereby forming mounting plate I D and side flanges Il as shown in Figure 2. Spacer tabs 6a and 6b and fascia board positioning tabs la and 'lib may conveniently be formed in the following steps, tabs 6a and la being struck up together and 6b and lb being struck up together.

The next step would preferably be to strike down on line b the portion of extension y5 that is to constitute shelf I 2 (Figures 2 and 3), the same bein-g struck down `from the vertical by an angle which may be as little as 15 or as much as This operation gives rise to an incom pletely formed product such 'as the one illustrated in Figure 2. As lthere represented, the portion that is to constitute shelf l2 is indicated as having been struck' down from the vertical by the maximum angle of 90.

There remains to fold the incompletely formed bracket on lines c and d, which is preferably done by bending iirst along line c yand there-A after at right angles thereto along line d; if necessary, the step of striking down shelf l2 from some lesser initial angle, such as 15, to the desired 90 angle is accomplished at this stage. This sequence of `operations gives rise to fa step-like structure consisting of shelf l2, shelf hanger l5 and top mounting I5. Respectively, these serve as the head-rail rest, as the headrail stop, and as a support -for the head-rail stop. Head-rail stop l5 is integral with, spaced from, and substantially parallel to mounting vplate I9, from which it is separated by rearwardly extending spacer tabs 6a and 6b.

As will appear, the completed bracket shown in Figure 3 may be used as either a left-hand or right-hand bracket.

' If, as would normally be the case, the bracket is mounted by means of screws extending throughV suitable screw holes (not shown) in mounting vplate l5), the left-hand end of rear fascia board Il maybe inserted in the space between 'tabs 6b and 1b, both on the near side of the -fascia board, and side flange Il on the Such pro-` Y platei far side of the fascia board. In these circum- Y stances, top stop 8 and bottom tab tip would cooperate to hold the fasciaV board in place, in addition to which tab 1b may, if necessary, be bent toward the fascia board to prevent it from rattling, VThe other end of rear fascia board ll would in such case be mounted in ,a similar bracket in which, however, the opposite side of the bracket,V Vthat is to say, Vthe side lacking front fascia board (not shown) would be inserted similarly into the two brackets.

Both fascia boards would in such'case be held against outward movement by means;A of side Lacking the pivoted clip. which Vin flanges I I. prior constructions tends to become` disengaged' as previously described, the front fasciaboard can' be removed from the body of, the bracket onlyjoy reversing the steps just described; it cannot/pivot` with a part or parts in which it is mounted to eX- poseiand releasethe headraili: Thus rather than' permitting thef headlrail? and'f other parts:y of. the blindito descend?onvtheoperatorinxthe levent of anwoutward pullf'onethe' operating cord, .the side flanges-.rigidly v:oppose outwardf movementv of theV front'rfascia: board and? other. 'elements of the blind? f J'Aparttfrom these advantages, th'e bracket toA which the invention .fis directed, being. of'integral or;unitary\ construction, isainexpensivefto make up; involvingy neither-.the rivetingf "parts nor theV weldinggr of ,fonef' element i to.; another.` A single.

brac'ket "adapted forfeuse interchangeably at either-en `,ofthe blind,nthe sole point'of diierencef being that-'where both front and'rearffascia boards are: employed the reap-fascia:l board will berestrained against upward movementfbywtopr Y stop-8;.atoneend-o'theblind andthe iront fascia board "against likeV movenrentl by a similar stop at-thesopposite endorfthe blind; frPositioning talosfV boardsm-ay happen to be employed. ln addition,

j afshprbgh-,eadrailfisi-made possible; with vconse- Quentfsavingfoimaterial: this follows from-the:V

rammstein both-*endsgerme-blind headrairstop i 5511s@ -spacedlfrom-.mounting Vplate Ill; as Yby spacer Itj is 'apparenti that f the bracket need AVnot4 be made of 'Y coilsteelg-.as hereinabove suggested; but

instead be` stamperdrfromr any; onev of Y various` 1y formed spacer maintains'the spacing between the mounting plate and the head-rail stop.

3. A bracket as in claim 1 in which the headrail stop is provided with a plurality of rearwardly extending spacers that abut the mounting plate.

4. A bracket as in claim'l in which the headrail stop supports means holding the fascia board in position.

5".- A bracket'asin claim 5.1. in'V which the headrail stop supports a shelf that serves as the headrail rest.

6. A bracket as in claim 1 in which the headrail stop.;supports a shelf carrying a depending tab that helps position a fascia board.

V'75A bracketfor mounting Venetian blinds and thelikecomprising..a stamping folded upon itself to provide a mounting plate having along the verticali edges thereof angularly extending integral iianges opposingi outward movement of Y from, and substantially-...parallel to..said-plate..

met-als that lend 'themselves tothe purpose. The

'Y method-ot manufacturing the fbracket may-be Y widely; varied, particularly; thenma-nnernin andl the point at which -the several vbendingffsteps are Y perfor-med: The proportions ofthe variousV parts such-,as thespacer-tabsfand the Vfascia board pc- VVsitioning.tabs may .likewise be varied. Other Y changes. will readilyrsuggest themselves tot those skilled.v in' the artY to-which the invention.l pertairis.-` Y Y f Y YIt isdntended thatthepatent-shall cover, by

suitablaexpressicninthezappended claimsgwhat- Y Vever features of patentable-noveltyreside inthe i nventi0h.. Y Y A Y 1.1*A bracket for mounting Venetian blinds and theA like comprising:a-.stamping` folded uponjitseltgtoprovidean ,upright mounting plate ancla.

step-shaped head-rail; 'stopt thatisl integral with; spaced from, and Vsubstantially parallel. tosaid V2; ...bracket a'szin. daim; mwichanitegraf Y1v1. A bracket. for` mounting. Venetianiblnds andthe ,like comprisingfastamping folded upon itself to providesan upright Vmounting plate havinggdalong rvertical .edges thereof, y,integral 'flanges opposing outward. movement of i frontland Treat` fascia boards and, between said angesa step,-

shapedheadrail stopthat isintegralwith, spaced.

from,Y and substantiallyparallel to said *platersaidl spacer separating it'fromsaid plate.

'121A bracket. for mounting Venetianblinds and the like comprising a stampingfolded jupon itself to provide .an upright mounting. plate having, along vertical edges thereof, 4integral anges opposing outward movement vof front'and rear.

head-rail .stop ,b'eingV provided. with an integral' Y fasciay boards andi between saidf' flanges; a; step-Y shaped head-rail stoprthatis'integral with; spa/ced` from, and substantially-parallel to saicl-p1ate;said'V head-rail ystop'jsupporting a4 Shel-f thatj'serves as thehead-rail rest: Y l

13. VA bracket aslin claimilvin' Whichlthe mounting plate is providedalo'ng'f a'--verticraledge there== of with'.V an angularly eXtendingfin-tegral "flangeE opposing outwardrnovementfof Ifascia"boardf r' l 15;-CHAIFIlElLD?v nannnsiioasfoirnn. Tlefollowing referencesY are fof' frecord Y* in the, le off'this'fpatentz- Y 4, Y UNITEDn VSTATES, tPA'IfEN'rs.; Y Number Y Y 

